


Salvation on the Other Side

by SunGreen70



Category: Whose Line Is It Anyway? RPF
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-18
Updated: 2014-02-18
Packaged: 2018-01-12 23:29:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1204513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunGreen70/pseuds/SunGreen70
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by my wondering whether Jonathan Mangum had ever auditioned for Whose Line (Drew's version), and if so why he never appeared despite his connections to Wayne and the others. Originally posted to LiveJournal in August, 2012.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Salvation on the Other Side

“I can’t do this.”

Wayne maneuvered himself through the half-opened door to his dressing room, two cups of coffee in his hands and a brown paper bag holding sandwiches, bottled water and soda cans precariously tucked in the crook of one arm. Shoving the door closed behind him with one foot, he set the food down on a table and exhaled with relief.

“What can’t you do?” he asked absently, opening the bag.

“This! The audition. This is stupid. I’m gonna screw it up.”

Startled, Wayne turned around and looked at Jonathan. His friend was hunched in a corner of the small sofa, his knees drawn to his chest. His hair was standing up in all directions, a sign that he’d been indulging in his habit of running his hands through it. Most striking, however, was his face. Jonathan’s normally fair complexion was white, his eyes huge as he met Wayne’s gaze.

“Hey…” Wayne moved over to the sofa and stood before him. “Take it easy. What happened? You were completely stoked when I left you here twenty minutes ago.”

Jonathan shook his head and sighed. “I don’t know. I just started thinking about it. And I remembered that I have no fucking business being here.” He tried to smile, as though he was joking, but his voice was serious as he added, “They’re going to wonder what the hell _you_ were thinking, recommending me.”

Wayne dropped down beside him. “Jonny, come on. You’re just nervous. You’re gonna kick ass, like you always do.”

“Not here. This isn’t SAK, or some two-minute walk-on on the Disney Channel.” Jon reached up to run his hands through his hair again, but Wayne caught his wrists.

“Jon, _relax_.” Wayne squeezed his friend’s hands in his before releasing them. “It’s not that different. Same shit, different stage. If I can do it, you can.” He grinned.

“It’s different for you. Everyone always knew _you_ were going to make it.”

Despite his concern for Jonathan, Wayne couldn’t help feeling a glow of pride at the words. Because he _had_ made it. He was a regular on a prime-time improv show that was gaining in popularity, alongside some of the performers he most admired. And Wayne, too, was gaining in popularity – so much so that his agent was in talks for Wayne to have his own show. It was amazing. It was what he had been striving for during the lean years of struggling to land gigs that barely kept him going. Well, almost.

The one thing that was missing was having Jonathan by his side, the way he had been throughout the lean years. Wayne being on _Whose Line_ had come between them, in a way. They were as close as they’d always been, but there was the undeniable fact that they were now in different places in their lives. Wayne couldn’t fully share his new life with Jonathan, the way they had always shared everything else. And he didn’t like it. That was why he’d asked Dan to give Jonathan this audition… the one that was now giving Jonathan an anxiety attack, from the looks of it. Wayne turned his full attention back to his friend.

“Everyone knew _we_ were gonna make it,” he corrected. “And we have. _You_ have. How many of the people we knew back in Florida are actually making a living at this? You’re already ahead of the game. This is just the next step.”

Jonathan was staring at his lap, but he nodded his head slowly. Wayne went on. “You’ve already proven yourself, Jon – by a long shot. So don’t ever let me hear you saying you’re not good enough. Because that is bullshit. You got that?”

Jonathan exhaled slowly. Before Wayne could stop him, he ran a hand through his hair again. But Wayne could see some of the tension draining out of him.

“Okay,” Jonathan said. “Okay.” He seemed to be talking to himself more than Wayne, but he looked up and met Wayne’s eyes, and a smile finally crossed his face. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “Momentary freak out.”

Wayne slipped his arm around Jonathan’s shoulders, squeezing him briefly. “As long as it was only momentary.”

Jonathan nodded. “It was.” He pressed his shoulder against Wayne’s. “Thanks.”

“Come on. Let’s eat.” As they rose to their feet, Wayne glanced at Jonathan and laughed. “But comb your hair first. You look like friggin’ Bozo the Clown.”

******

Wayne shot Jonathan a worried glance. They were onstage in front of the three executive producers, acting out a scene that should have been a no-brainer. But Jonathan was stiff, struggling for comebacks to Wayne’s cues. They were only a few minutes into Jonathan’s audition – but every minute counted.

“Thank you.” Dan’s voice from the third row of audience chairs was pleasant but noncommittal. He went into a huddle with Drew and Ryan, seated on either side of him.

Wayne met Jonathan’s eyes. From his pained expression it was obvious that he knew just how the audition was going. Wayne reached out and grasped his friend’s shoulders, squeezing lightly. He didn’t speak aloud for the three producers to hear, but he tried to reach Jonathan with his mind. _Relax, man. Loosen up_. Wayne wasn’t sure his attempt at telepathy worked, but it was clear that Jonathan understood him. He nodded, closed his eyes briefly, and took a breath.

“All right, gentlemen,” Dan called from the audience. “Let’s try another one.”

Wayne gave Jonathan an encouraging smile as they listened to the instructions and took their places. He stepped up his efforts, giving Jonathan easy cues and ample opportunity to stand out. But to Wayne’s dismay, the scene didn’t go any better than the previous one. If anything, it was worse. Jonathan had completely lost focus. The more he fumbled, the more tense he became, and the more his work suffered. And Wayne could only watch helplessly as the performance deteriorated.

“Thank you. That’s all we need.” They stopped short at Dan’s voice, cutting into the scene before it was finished. Jonathan stood rooted into place, his face stricken. Wayne forced himself to smile, and stepped forward to give his friend a brief hug.

“Great job, Jonny,” he whispered. Jonathan was rigid in his embrace, and didn’t reply or return the hug. Wayne clapped him awkwardly on the back and released him.

Dan stood up. “Jonathan, thank you again for coming in. We’ll be in touch. Wayne, could you join us in the conference room, please?”

Wayne glanced back at Jonathan, who was still avoiding his eyes. He touched his arm briefly. “Wait for me in the dressing room. I’ll be there in a bit.”

Jonathan didn’t respond. He simply turned and walked away, shoulders slumped. Wayne wanted to run after him, throw his arms around him and promise that it would be okay. But there was no point. Jonathan wasn’t an idiot. Sighing, Wayne stepped down off the stage and followed the other three down the opposite corridor to the elevator.

“Well,” Dan said as they settled themselves around the gleaming mahogany table. “What did we think?” His voice was brisk, and Wayne saw him glance at his watch. Clearly, his mind was made up, and he didn’t expect to spend much time in this meeting.

“I’m not sure we gave him enough time,” Drew replied. “He didn’t really have a chance to loosen up and show us what he can do.”

Wayne smiled. Good old Drew. He liked Jonathan, and was obviously on his side.

“Well, we can’t very well call him back and give him another go,” Dan said impatiently.

“Why not?” Drew countered. Before Dan could reply, Ryan spoke up.

“I can see potential,” he said.

Wayne looked over at Ryan in surprise. Of all three of them, Ryan had seemed the least impressed during Jonathan’s audition. Ryan met his gaze knowingly before he turned back to Dan. “You can’t go by one performance.”

Dan chuckled wryly. “That’s what an audition _is_ , Ryan. One chance.”

“If Colin had only gotten one chance, he wouldn’t be here today, driving your ratings up,” Ryan retorted.

Wayne let out a slow release of breath, looking back and forth between Ryan and Dan. Everyone knew that story. Colin had blown not only his audition, but his first show. On both occasions, Dan would have gladly dropped him without a second thought, but Ryan had battled fiercely for him and won.

“Yeah,” Drew chimed in. “Look, I saw Jonathan at Groundlings. I’m telling you, he was brilliant.”

Ryan turned back to Wayne. “You’ve worked with him. Was it just pressure today? Can he do better?”

Wayne instantly recognized what Ryan was offering. If he could make a convincing case for Jonathan, that would give Ryan grounds to argue with Dan to give Jonathan the spot. And everyone knew that when Ryan fought for something, he usually got his way.

Besides, he reflected, glancing over at Dan, everyone always said – with no small amount of resentment – that Wayne was Dan’s favorite. Surely Dan would give in if Wayne and Ryan joined forces.

Wayne hesitated, turning his head to look out the window. He could feel the eyes of the other three on him as he stared out at the Los Angeles skyline, weighing his response.

Finally, Wayne took a deep breath, turning back to the three producers. “I don’t know,” he said quietly, looking down at the table. “I mean…I want to tell you he’s a lot better than you just saw, and sometimes he is, but…I can’t promise anything.”

No one spoke. Wayne stared at the tabletop, which was polished to such a shine he could almost see his face in it. It was unwillingness to meet his own reflection that made him raise his head to face the others. Drew seemed confused. Dan, as always, was impassive. And Ryan…Wayne didn’t dare look at him. He addressed himself to Dan.

“I love the guy, don’t get me wrong. But this is about the show. And if we’re not sure Jon is up for it, then maybe it’s too risky.” He chanced a look at Ryan now. Ryan’s eyes were fixed on him, but his face was expressionless. “I’m just trying to be honest,” Wayne added, hearing a pleading note in his voice.

Dan nodded approvingly at Wayne. “That’s exactly what I’m saying,” he told Ryan and Drew. “He’s a lovely person. No one’s arguing that. And he’s quite talented in many ways. But he just isn’t strong enough at improv.”

Ryan’s eyes remained on Wayne. Wayne squirmed under his gaze, and turned back to Dan and Drew. “I guess what it really comes down to is…is it fair to Jon, to put him on with Ryan and Colin” - he purposely omitted himself - “if he can’t hold his own? What’s that going to do to his career? If he can’t compare to those guys, he’s just going to look worse. And that could end up hurting him in the long run. I…I don’t want to see that happen.”

Drew shrugged slightly. “I guess that makes sense.”

Dan nodded. “I think it does. Thank you, Wayne.”

“All right, then.” Ryan gathered up his belongings and left the room without another glance in Wayne’s direction. Drew lingered for a moment.

“Sorry, Wayne. It would have been great to have him.”

“Yeah.”

“Is Mangum still here?” Dan asked. Wayne nodded. “All right. No sense putting it off. Do you want to be here when I talk to him?”

Wayne shook his head emphatically. “No. I’ll…uh…wait for him in the green room. We drove in together.”

“You want me to get him for you, Dan?” Drew offered.

“Yes, please. Send him to my office. I’ll meet him there.” Drew nodded and hurried out, clapping Wayne consolingly on the shoulder as he passed his chair. Wayne sighed deeply and rose heavily to his feet.

“Wayne?” Dan’s voice stopped him as he reached the door. He paused, his hand on the knob, and looked back at his boss. “I just want to thank you for your honesty. I know it couldn’t have been easy to speak up as you did.”

Wayne couldn’t speak. He nodded and got the hell out of there.

Back on the ground floor, Wayne aimlessly roamed the corridors, in no hurry to get to the green room. It wasn’t the end of the world, he told himself. Jonathan would be disappointed, sure, but it wasn’t like this was anything earth-shattering. There had been plenty of other auditions he hadn’t passed. That was just the nature of performing. Besides, Jonathan had so much else going for him. He worked steadily enough, had a great girlfriend, a family that still got together every Christmas. He’d always had a great life, for as long as Wayne had known him. Wayne’s break on _Whose Line_ had been the first and only thing Wayne ever had that Jonathan didn’t…

Wayne stopped short, nearly falling over a couple of folding chairs that were stacked against the wall. He put his hands on top of the pile to steady himself. His heart thudded in his chest. _No..._

No, that had nothing to do with it. He had been completely honest with Dan, professional. He wasn’t trying to keep the show to himself…

The empty hallway reverberated with the clang of crashing metal as Wayne sent the stack of chairs flying with one powerful, angry shove.

******

Wayne had been waiting in the green room for half an hour, staring out the window over the parking lot when it finally occurred to him that Jonathan still hadn’t appeared. He couldn’t still be in Dan’s office. Wayne didn’t really want to face Jonathan. But he needed to be there for him. He owed him that much.

It didn’t take long to find him in Wayne’s dressing room where they’d waited for the start of the audition together. The door was partly open, and peering inside before entering, Wayne spotted Jonathan slumped on the small sofa, staring at some invisible spot on the opposite wall.

Wayne knocked lightly on the door, before entering and closing it behind him. “Hey,” he said quietly.

Jonathan looked up and smiled weakly. But he couldn’t hide his real emotions from Wayne. He never could. Nor could he conceal the fact that his eyes were rimmed with red. Wayne exhaled and sat down beside him. 

“You okay?”

Jonathan chuckled slightly, a forced sound. “Sure. I’m fine.”

“I’m sorry, Jonny.” Wayne reached over and laid a hand on Jonathan’s knee. Before he could stop himself, he added, “I fought for you.”

The words shocked him the second they left his mouth. In all the years they’d been friends, Wayne had never lied to Jonathan. He felt sick to his stomach. He looked away so Jonathan couldn’t see his face.

Jonathan covered Wayne’s hand with his own. “I know you did.” He looked up again, with a closer facsimile of a real smile this time. “And I appreciate it.” He gave Wayne’s hand a squeeze.

Wayne dropped his eyes. He knew that Jonathan believed that he _had_ fought for him, tooth and nail – had begged Dan to give him a shot. Because that was what Jonathan would have done, had their roles been reversed. Wayne had no doubt about that.

Worse, perhaps now Jonathan believed what he had not really believed before, despite his anxiety – that he just wasn’t good enough.

“It’s one show,” Wayne said finally. “There’ll be others.”

“I know.”

Wayne threw his arms around Jonathan, pulling him into a rough bear hug. “I’m sorry,” he murmured into his friend’s ear. “So, so, fucking sorry.”

He would never be able to tell him how much.


End file.
